Falls & gait disorders

DDx

  • Visual impairment
  • Gait impairment due to:
    • Podiatric disorder, eg, ingrown nail
    • Arthritis
    • Muscular weakness, eg, myopathy
    • Cerebellar ataxia, eg, alcoholism
    • Sensory ataxia, eg, vitamin B12 deficiency, neurosyphilis
    • Other neurologic disorder, eg, parkinsonism, Alzheimer’s disease, spinal stenosis, multiple sclerosis, peripheral neuropathy
  • Environmental hazards, eg, poor lighting, stairs, rugs, uneven floors
  • Polypharmacy, eg, benzodiazepines, opioids, phenothiazines, vasodilators, diuretics
  • Alcohol use
  • Orthostatic or postprandial hypotension
  • Vertigo, presyncope, syncope, or dysequilibrium
  • Medical illness, eg, pneumonia, myocardial infarction, anemia, hyponatremia
  • Other contributing factors: urinary urgency, peripheral edema, insomnia

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Last updated: December 1, 2014